> If anything they should be glad the punishment was as civilized as this. There are many places in this world where it could easily escalate to actual violence.

Agreed. But there’s a reason that guy apparently felt no worries about closing the door in OP’s face. Perhaps the likelihood of it escalating was slim. And there’s a reason why OP didn’t knock again.

In the resolution you propose in another comment, deviance doesn’t cease. It transfers to the guy who thinks he can correct people’s behavior with technology. But I need to remind myself where I’m saying this at.

> Perhaps the likelihood of it escalating was slim.

Not as slim as he had hoped.

People feel free to close the door on others because they are used to a life without violence. Their implicit thinking is "I'm not even gonna consider what this other person wants because what's he gonna do about it? Nothing." They think there is no way they will be held accountable for their actions. That's magical thinking.

People really shouldn't ask that question. There are a lot of things that can be done about virtually any situation. People would do well not to forget that.

"What are you going to do about it?" is a challenge. It's refusal to negotiate and a direct challenge to escalate the situation. "If this matters so much to you, then you had better do something about it". Not only does it escalate, it insults the other person. They have no choice but to escalate because the alternative is to be seen as weak which costs respect, especially if the exchange happens in front of peers.

> It transfers to the guy who thinks he can correct people’s behavior with technology.

Yes. The situation has escalated. The other person can either submit or escalate even further. Perhaps into physical violence.

Hope the hacker has a gun and is able and willing to use it. You know. Just in case. Plenty of people out there willing to die over real or perceived slights.